Attract the Right Job or Clientele:
Our communication affects all stages of the sales cycle and also includes the final stage for getting hired. One of the more critical areas for getting to ‘Yes!’ is in our Response Style. A response may be an answer to a question, providing insight, or getting to the closing stage of pending business.
My Story
Today the story will begin with the best case Response Style seen to date and will end with one of the worst for comparison. By providing the ‘Wow’ model first will give a goal toward which we should all strive.
1. A three-way email chain of events is not the easiest and miscommunication is likely to occur. Marjorie’s prior corporate and executive experiences have her in the spotlight of today’s admiration. She took it upon herself to create a PDF document that spoke to several learning styles.
In the two-pages received, not only did she showcase verbiage, but also highlighted the changes specifically in need of change. Bright yellow arrows were included, and then she added photos in a couple of spots to add emphasis. Whether one reads or views instruction, the points were well taken and came across loud and clear.
End Result:
Immediate action to fix errors was taken and presented to the other parties. Everyone was happy with the quick attention to the finite details. Approval was instantly granted move forth.
2. Creative and technical mindsets think very differently, and sometimes frustration with one another takes hold. I asked a seemingly simple question to the expectation of receiving an easy-to-understand answer. After the above experience, the expectation was to see a screenshot via email of where to click online to fix the issue. Oh, was I wrong! Technical jargon, coding, and a frustrated sentiment with yours truly filled the message.
Needing to put some humor into the situation, I sent the code to Marjorie along with her PDF for comparison. Although she laughed, once again she was able, to my surprise, explain the meaning of the code in simple terms. Only then was I able to remedy the problem.
End Result:
Future communication will be limited and potentially help sought elsewhere.
Communication Reminders:
- Ask the reason for the inquiry so that you may fully understand and answer.
- Eliminate any sense of blame knowing that no one person knows everything.
- Speak to all learning styles wherever possible.
In all situations, networking, important meetings, and online how we communicate will affect business development, outcomes, and future sales. Always speak peer to peer rather than coming across as knowing more than the other person.
And when it comes to team morale, coach to lead and encourage versus speaking down to team members. See yesterday’s blog with Infographic “Motivate Employees: Build Engagement and Clientele”: The post states that when sales representatives feel respect from management and confident in their ability, their sales performance exceeds expectations. Team morale on a high will reduce the revolving door syndrome and further improve the company bottom-line.
Your Story
Most everyone experiences frustration in communicating with another. Examination of recent or past experiences will give you a good indication of what not to do yourself. Determine if there are areas in which you may improve. Here are three examples of salespeople erroneously communicating with prospective clients:
- Argue with prospective clients claiming that their thinking is wrong.
- Competitive conversation with prospects instead of applauding them on their achievements
- Assume much too much to try to make a quick sale instead of leading explorative meetings.
Only after agreements are in process should a salesperson focus on the numbers and how they relate to quota plus potential bonuses. Up until this point, concentrate on gaining an understanding of the client well along with their company, industry, and clientele. The give and take of a friendly conversation striving to understand the big picture along with the details will lead to far greater possibilities on all levels.
Sales Tips
- Listen and then politely respond.
- Ask questions, listen to answers, and ask to clarify anything not completely understood.
- Treat everyone as an equal.
- Include all insights to narrow down the more pertinent.
- Provide a preliminary proposal as a working document that recaps everything previously shared.
- Make adjustments in the working document with your prospective client.
- Refrain from playing the blame game or pointing fingers.
- Ask for approval as you present the final proposal.
- Agree upon the timeline for getting everything in order.
- Celebrate Success!
Following these guidelines for Response Style will lead you to the Smooth Sale!
P.S. Send us your sales related questions to elinor@smoothsale.net.
Inquire about inspirational/motivational speaking for your next event and sales training.
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